Muscle development and muscle memory are important training techniques to improve strength and speed in the swinging of a sports implement and equipment. Many training devices exist for such sport implements for example baseball bats, lacrosse sticks, tennis racquets and golf clubs. After swinging a sport implement with a weighted device, and then removing the device a bat, racquet or club will feel lighter and quicker improving the speed of the club and providing for a ball to be hit more smoothly and for a longer distance. By employing weight resistance training methods using the weighted training device with a sport implement, muscle development, conditioning and timing of the user is often improved.
Among the available training devices are trainers using wind resistance as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,866,592 to Gitre. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,692,386 to Brundage a specially made baseball bat or golf club having a hollow cavity that accepts one or more nested weights is described. As a further example a weighted fixture that mounts along the barrel or shaft of a sport implement is described in U.S. Patent Publication No. U.S.2006/0122000 to Paredes et al.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,599,201 to Grant a portable weight training apparatus that is attached along the shaft near to the head of a golf club is described. The device holds one or more weights and has a front clamp, a rear clamp, an adjustable hand knob, and a threaded shaft with other components to secure the device to the shaft. A user may adjust the weight of the device by selecting the appropriate number of weights to mount and secure along the shaft.
Each of these training devices has significant limitations. For example, the wind resistance trainer of Gitre provides minimal weight resistance, needed to improve muscle tone. The specially designed club of Brundage requires a batter or golfer to use a completely different sport implement than would be normally used. Additionally, the weight device systems of Paredes et al. and Grant require significant preparation and adjustment to affix the apparatus to the sport implement. Further, a majority of these and other devices do not allow the sport implement to be used normally where the bat, racquet or club with the apparatus attached can for example be swung and used to hit a baseball, tennis ball or golf ball.
Normal use of the sport implement with the training attachment may be prevented due to the device covering a section of the implement used to contact the ball such as a donut used on a baseball bat. Using the implement normally may also be prevented where the additional weight of the training device twists the implement out of balance affecting the quality of the swing and the eye hand coordination necessary to properly contact a ball. Additionally, an added metallic device attached to the barrel or shaft of a sport implement may cause excessive vibration in the shaft of the implement resulting in a loss of grip and possibly pain in the hands of the user. What is needed is a weight training apparatus that is easy to attach to and remove from a sport implement and a device that provides for the sport implement to be used normally with the device attached without excessive twisting or vibration due to the added weight or material of the training device.